The conference room in the heart of Jurassic Park San Diego was far from grand, but it served its purpose. A long mahogany table sat at its center, with dim overhead lights casting shadows on the blueprints, feeding schedules, and security reports scattered across its surface.

Benjamin Lockwood sat at the head of the table, his fingers steepled as he listened intently. Across from him, Sophia Gallagher, the park's senior animal handler, flipped through a tablet, frowning. Beside her, Thomas Edwards, the chief geneticist, adjusted his glasses, clearly exhausted but alert.

Tomorrow, the gates would open to the public. The world was watching.

Expectations Concerns

Lockwood cleared his throat. "Let's go over everything one last time. We want the park to open without a hitch. Sophia, let's start with you. How are the animals adjusting?"

Sophia sighed. "Overall, we're in good shape. The T. rex has settled into its enclosure, though she still favors the eastern half. The triceratops are showing no signs of stress. But…" she hesitated, tapping at her tablet, "we have two issues that could become problems."

Lockwood raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"The stegosaurus," she said, "is being unusually selective about its gastroliths. We've provided a variety of smooth stones, but for some reason, it's rejecting most of them. It keeps spitting them out and only picks through a small pile we collected from a dry riverbed upstate."

Thomas leaned forward. "Interesting. Could be a mineral preference. I'll have a geologist analyze those stones and compare their composition to what's in the habitat."

Lockwood nodded. "Make it a priority. If the animal can't properly digest its food, we may have a serious health issue on our hands."

Sophia continued. "The gallimimus herd is acting strangely. They keep running in circles, over and over. It could be stress, or maybe something environmental is bothering them. I had the handlers check, but there's nothing obvious. No loud noises, no predators nearby."

Thomas hummed in thought. "Could be a neurological issue. We'll do some behavioral studies, but if it's a genetic defect, we might need to intervene."

Lockwood frowned. "If they keep doing this in front of guests, it'll raise questions. Keep me updated."

Lockwood sat back, his expression turning grave. "Now, before we wrap up, I want to review the tranq and lockdown procedures one more time. If—when—something goes wrong, we need to be ready."

Sophia nodded. "Standard protocol is in place. If an animal gets too close to guest areas, we use non-lethal deterrents first—sound cannons, barrier shifts, controlled food incentives. If that fails, the primary tranquilizer team deploys. Our secondary team is stationed near the T. rex paddock and can respond within two minutes."

Lockwood turned to Thomas. "And in case of containment breach?"

Thomas sighed. "We've reinforced the enclosures with double-layered security doors, and all personnel have emergency access points. But once an animal is out… well, it's not like on an island. We don't have jungle terrain to act as a buffer. If something breaks free in the amphitheater, we're dealing with a highly controlled, urban environment."

Lockwood exhaled slowly. "Which brings me to my final concern."

He stood, pacing to the window that overlooked the nearly completed visitor area. "This park… is different. Isla Sorna is isolated, a controlled experiment. Here, we're in the heart of San Diego. We don't have the luxury of distance. If something goes wrong—if an animal escapes into the city—it won't be a PR disaster. It'll be a catastrophe."

Sophia and Thomas exchanged a glance.

Lockwood turned back to face them. "This is our last chance to make sure we haven't overlooked anything. No detail is too small. No precaution too extreme. We have one night to perfect this before the world steps through those gates."

Silence hung over the room.

Finally, Sophia spoke. "Then let's get to work."

Thomas nodded. "I'll have my team run one last round of blood tests."

Lockwood gave a tight smile. "Good. Alright eveyone...let's make history."